Work in Progress

出警入跸图 (Chu Jing Ru Bi Tu, The Scroll of the Ming Emperor's roaly progress) is the Ming Dynasty's scroll that depicted the royal progress of Emperor Wan Li. There are around 5000 people in this scroll, including the emperor. I was attracted by the beatiful clothes of traditional Han people. So I made some figures in Zbrush and 3D printed them out. The first wave is the 锦衣卫 (Jin Yi Wei, the imperial guards of Ming Dynasty). They wore bright-colored uniform call 飞鱼服(Fu yu fu, the uniform with flying fish, acctually flying fish is a kind of dragon with fish-like tails). I made one sitting pose ,two standing guards, one reading the emperor's will and tow flag bearers as a set. The decorative pattern of Flying fish is made of sticker. Pic 1. The Fei Yu fu(Uniform of flying fish)Pic 2. Man wearing Fei Yu FuPic 3. The figures of Jin yI wei, imperial guards of Ming Dynasty

Later i am planning to make the rider as depicted in the scroll. As shown below

Its refreshing to see some very thin, slim figures, almost barbie doll proportions. Its quite an opposite to the fat miniatures we use to see so often in our scale. But of course yours are computermade so a complete different story. I like them very much.

Some questions:

I always thought the Ming Dynastie was influenced and even originated by the Mongol conquest (after Gengis Kahn) but you talk about the cloth of the traditional Han peoples. Can you tell us a little bit more about this? Does this mean the Han peoples did not adopt the Mongol influences?

These dresses you designed and printed have extremely exaggerated wide hips. These look like ballroomdresses for 18th century European ladies. The image you show us with the man in light green dress, indicate these are wide pockets in the coats, on both sides of the hips. But the dark green lay-outs of the same dress show no sign of pockets at all. So are these pockets? Or foldings in the cloth?

Hi , Mr. Cryns:I think I could help to explain your question.....‘’Han people what rayloryan had written meant the Han nationality,those style of clothes were dressed by Han nationality.

You are really very sensitive, also very professional!!!Mongol influences......very well topic, upper's style we called '曳撒', characteristics of this style was a wide zone in the middle(we called 马面' horse's face'）,one kind of Han Chinese clothing, according to the name, this was inherited from Mongolian...

but!!!! :飞鱼服必须是曳撒款式 Fei Yu Fu must be 曳撒's shape。

Without that wide zone's style ,we called "贴里”, and don't split on neither left or right side...

Its refreshing to see some very thin, slim figures, almost barbie doll proportions. Its quite an opposite to the fat miniatures we use to see so often in our scale. But of course yours are computermade so a complete different story. I like them very much.

Some questions:

I always thought the Ming Dynastie was influenced and even originated by the Mongol conquest (after Gengis Kahn) but you talk about the cloth of the traditional Han peoples. Can you tell us a little bit more about this? Does this mean the Han peoples did not adopt the Mongol influences?

These dresses you designed and printed have extremely exaggerated wide hips. These look like ballroomdresses for 18th century European ladies. The image you show us with the man in light green dress, indicate these are wide pockets in the coats, on both sides of the hips. But the dark green lay-outs of the same dress show no sign of pockets at all. So are these pockets? Or foldings in the cloth?

It is a very good and professional question and thanks a lot to Lirui for the explaination.First sorry for the confusion. The " Traiditional cloth of Han people " is not an historical accurate term. In my understanding, ancient China was ruled by Han people except the Mongolia Yuan and Manchu Qing, both interrupted a more advanced Han civilization by barbarian invation. The former did not care much about Han people and just ruled them cruely. The Manchu Qing was even worse. To put down the possible rebellion against them after the fall of Ming, they raised literary inquisition (imprisonment or execution of an author for writing sth. considered offensive by the imperial court) and forced Han people to change their hair style and clothes to show the obedience to their rule (they were afraid of Han people because the Manchu had much less population). For Han people, it was considered a great shame to be conquered by a less civilized romadic Manchu. So in my previous post, "the traditional Han Cloth" refers to any cloth before Manchu Qing( except Yuan).

Of course you are right, some of the Ming clothes were greatly afftect by the Mengolia Yuan. Take the Fei Yu fu for example. Accutally any cloth with the ornament pattern of flying fish can be called Fei yu fu. It contains 3 main types of cloth design. The first is called 曳撒(yi san). It inherited some elements from Mengol style. The main characteristics are the "Flat face" in the middle of the dress( called 马面, the horse‘s face) and tow hard trims on both sides(which you thought as pockets). My first picture(the dark green one) is not 曳撒 style so it confuses you. The following pitcure of 曳撒 may give you better understanding.1. Fu yu fu of 曳撒 style, note the horse’s face and trims called 耳(ears)

The second style called 贴里(Tie Li) also inherited elements from Mengol. It has no Horse's face and ears. Instead it has ripple desing all over the dress.2. 贴里this is a historical relic of 贴里 style Fei Yu fu.

The third one is called 直身（zhi shen, meaning straight body) are typically made of tow piecesto cover both front and back. Like Lirui says, Ceaser's Ming arm wear this kind.3.直身

To summerize, ming clothes especially military clothes are greatly effect by Mengol style. In the early stage of Ming Dynasty, Megol style elements were thought as suitable for low rank people such as servants. But since it was much convenient than heavey and complicated "real traditional" Han clothes, it soon spreaded into higher classes, even to the imperial court. The following pictrues are from the court scroll of Emperor Xuan De (1398-1435). You can see a lot of 曳撒 or 贴里. Even the emperor wore 曳撒.Megolia element is suitable for military actions:

The word 曳撒 comes from Megolia langugage “Jisum”. It was very similar with Middle Aisan or India dress. I don't know who could be the origination.